


Cross My Path

by Mirytie



Category: Original Work
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, High School, M/M, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-10 19:20:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13508112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirytie/pseuds/Mirytie
Summary: After a bumpy middle-school 3rd year, Emi, the always positive girl, decides to change cities, instead of transferring to the near-by high-school.Chouko, that had a bumpy year, too, decides to stay and try to make a new life for her self, not only as the anti-social, smart girl who takes high notes.The paths of the two girls weren't meant to cross.But with Chouko's childhood friend attending Emi's high-school, the things change.Hayato becomes the source of a lot of problems for Chouko and a salvation jacket for Emi.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> English isn't my first language, so forgive me if there is the occasional mistake.  
> I know it's not a good excuse, but it is my case.

Hayato was your stereotypical hot 3rd year middle school guy that every girl wanted to date but no one could.  
Chouko was your stereotypical nerd childhood friend that pissed every other girl off because she was the only one that was able to walk by Hayto’s side…since he didn’t give a crap about anyone else…as a stereotypical hot student is in every story.  
Obviously, Chouko was in love with Hayato but didn’t want to tell him, because she didn’t want to lose the relationship they had until then. Of course.  
As they in their 3rd year of middle school, about to go to their 1st year of high school, Chouko was relieved that she didn’t receive any backlash from the other girls, but a little uneasy about would happen in high school.  
The other girls were feeling uneasy too, so they went to talk to Chouko, in one of the few occasions that Hayato wasn’t with her.  
“Are you going to keep glued to Hayato until he dies?” asked one of the group that cornered Chouko “You do know that high school girls are a lot scarier than us, right? Being with Hayato all the time won’t stop them from bullying you.”  
Chouko didn’t answer.  
“She must think that she is better than us” said other “She is Hayato’s childhood friend and he only talks to her.”  
“I bet she likes him” said a third one “See, Hayato likes girls with long hair and she let her grow since the 1st year of middle school.”  
“It’s true!” said another “She’s getting all red! Look, look!”  
The obvious leader of the group of the girls smiled.  
“Is that so? Do you think he likes you back?” she asked, but Chouko kept quiet, what angered the girl “Give me a pair of scissors!”  
The other girls didn’t even ask why or tried to stop her. However, Chouko started to move and to scream for help.  
“Hold her still” said the girl “Shut her mouth!”  
Two of the girls did just that and, with two violent moves, the girl cut Chouko’s hair. She started to cry but the girl just smiled. “You do know what happens if you tell him that we did this, right?”  
“We should show her” said one of the girls “In a place that Hayato can’t see.”  
Since the leader thought that was a great idea, she lifted her skirt a little and looked at her “You won’t be able to show your leg to Hayato, right? I’ll just make a little cut.”  
She closed the scissors and pointed the tip to her leg, making her cry even more.  
“What are you doing?”  
When she heard the voice behind them, the leader put Chouko’s skirt down, hide the scissors and ordered, with a look, to release Chouko. She turned around with a smile.  
The girl that attracted their attention and stop them from giving a scar to Chouko was Emi, your stereotypical tom-boy that liked to help people, even if that meant to get hurt in the process.  
In the past, she arrived home with a lot of painful bruises.  
That was the reason why her parents paid to give Emi judo lessons, as well as martial arts and fencing lessons. That was the reason, too, why she cut her hair short, almost like a boy. And, even though she had all that extra-curricular classes, she still was in some clubs. Like the baseball club and the track club. And that was why she was there, when all the other students were gone.  
All that prevented the girls to kick her out or even talk to her in a rough way.  
“We were just having a friendly talk with Chouko” the girl looked at Chouko “Right?”  
With fear, Chouko nodded but Emi saw the tears in her eyes and then her hair on the floor.  
“It’s better if you stop the conversation, now” said Emi in a serious tone.  
“It has nothing to do with you” the leader said “We’re not doing anything wrong, here!”  
“Right” said Emi “If you’re not doing anything wrong, I’ll just wait here until you finish your talk, ‘kay?”  
“We don’t want you to hear what…”  
“Enough with this!” Emi put down her bag “Are you going to leave her alone, or are you going to fight me? Choose one!”  
The girls looked at each other, trying to decide if they could win.  
“Now!” yelled Emi, scaring the other girls.  
“What kind of girl would want to fight?” asked the leader “What kind of girl are you anyways? Come on, girls. Let’s go” she looked at Chouko one last time and smiled “We have to fix our hair.”  
Once they were gone, Emi picked up her bag and went to Chouko. “Are you okay?”  
“You shouldn’t have helped me?” said Chouko suddenly, scaring Emi “They will target you next.”  
Emi just stayed there while Chouko ran out of school. What was her name again?, thought Emi when she picked up the glasses that the girl dropped while was being bullied. Well, she could return it to her the next day. Now she was late for the basketball practice.  
In her way there, she went against a boy that seemed in a hurry. Although it was he who bumped her, he just kept going casually without saying anything.  
“Rude” mumbled Emi. But then went back when she remembered that he was the shy guy that always was with the other girl. What was his name, again? “Hey! Wait!”  
But Hayato didn’t wait, so she had to do it herself, stopping him by putting a hand on his shoulder.  
“Aren’t you the guy who always hangs out with that really smart girl?” asked Emi.  
“What about it?” asked Hayato, annoyed.  
“She dropped her glasses” Emi answered, giving it to him “They are a little shattered and I think she was being bullied. So, if you are her friend you should talk to her.”  
“Mind your own business” Hayato took the glasses from her and returned his path.  
Emi shook her head in disappointment. That guy was really rude.  
In the end, it wasn’t her problem anymore. She did what she could to help. Maybe she should check out that girl after the weekend or talk to that group of girls but, in that moment, she needed to go to the basketball club.  
As she was expecting, she was reprimanded (but not too harshly).  
Emi smiled. Even with rude people in the world, as longs as there existed good people, life was good.  
On Monday, some guys from Emi’s class went to talk to Hayato. He wasn’t with Chouko anymore. They never walked together after that, until the graduation day.  
“What do you want?” Hayato asked, after being called to the alley.  
“A bunch of guys saw you talking to Emi, last week” said the guy who called him.  
“Who?” asked Hayato, trying to remember if something of sorts happened “That girl that looks like a boy?”  
The guy sighed “Yes…look, if you and her don’t have any type of connection is good.”  
“I know she used to beat up a lot of people when she was little” said Hayato, lazily “Are you here to warn me about her?”  
“I’m here to warn you about the other guys” said the boy “More than half of the school male students have a crush on Emi. Don’t approach her carelessly.”  
“Dude, I couldn’t care less about that girl” said Hayato, going back to the classroom “I’m not into guys.”  
“You say that” shouted the guy before going to his classroom “But if you knew Emi, you would see the world with other eyes!”  
“Right” mumbled Hayato, looking for one second at Chouko.  
What kind of world would that be?  
Emi didn’t show up that day. She had a funeral to attend to.  
…  
Emi showed up at school with a smile in her face, explaining that a distant relative had died and she had to attend the funeral. She assured everyone she was okay, because her and the relative weren’t that close, anyways. She barely knew him. She just went because her parents went.  
In fact, she was so “okay” that she even went to check on Chouko. It seemed that the cut her hair properly, after the attack and was now by shoulder length. It wasn’t to bad. Her hair was even shorter.  
But Chouko seemed devastated. Maybe she loved her hair long. Emi would hate it if her hair was the length of Chouko’s previous hair.  
She started to try and be friends with her. But, before she could make any advance, the students started to notice that a black, shiny car started to drop off and pick up Emi. With time, they discovered what Emi was keeping a secret. She was rich. Really, really rick. An imported car and a motorist with white gloves, type of rich.  
The friends that she had before felt betrayed. Why did she had to lie to them? They didn’t give a chance to Emi explain. So, her old friends left her and a new type of ‘friends’ surfaced. The type of ‘friends’ that she had all her life.  
Emi didn’t stay in school until the end. She asked to be home-schooled until the end of middle school and they agreed that, she would do the final exam in their school, they would let her attend the graduation ceremony.  
So, she did that. She went to school with a smile on the final exam day and then for the graduation ceremony. Chouko talked for all the 3rd years and, in a blink of an eye, it was over and the students started to gather around the school yard to take pictures with friends and families.  
Emi just passed through all that and went straight to the car that was waiting for her. At least she got to attend one graduation ceremony. She was almost sure that, that wouldn’t happen with the high school graduation ceremony.  
While the driver was starting the car, she looked through the window and saw the rude guy smile with his parents by his side. They looked like loving parents…she didn’t understand why he was so gloomy all the time, at school.  
“We’re going, miss” said the driver.  
Emi nodded. “What I packed yesterday…”  
“It’s all in the trunk, miss” confirmed the driver “They are waiting for you.”  
Emi nodded again. “Then, let’s go. My parents always said that is rude to let someone waiting.”  
Emi looked at the school one last time.  
At least she got to go through middle school like a normal girl.  
Not like a stereotypical rich and pampered girl that wanted everyone’s attention. No. She was your stereotypical rich girl that didn’t want to be pampered nor known as ‘the rich girl in my school’.  
Emi smiled.  
At least no one could take that from her.


	2. The Elastic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emi lost her energy and her smile.  
> When it all seemed lost, a really annoying guy enters her life

The vacations passed in a blink of an eye and, while all her friends stayed back, Emi decided to start anew in a new town, in a far away high-school. Where no one knew who she was…or how much money she had.  
So, she asked to go to a high-school in Tokyo and her wish was granted.  
The entrance ceremony was fun. Emi had a lot of fun but decided to stay away and don’t socialize more than necessary. They hear the speech from the principle and then from the 1st year student that had the highest score in the entrance exams.  
In was in that moment that Emi realized she could never run away from her past. She sunk down on her seat in an attempt not to be seen by the rude guy from her middle-school, that was giving the speech.  
“Are you okay?” asked a girl seated next to Emi, when she looked to the floor “I can call a teacher…”  
“No, I’m fine” interrupted Emi, smiling at the girl “I’m just a little nervous.”  
After that, Emi kept looking around to make sure the guy wouldn’t spot her. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize her. They only talked once in middle-school and were in different classes. Furthermore, they would probably end up in different classes there, too, since it was a big high-school.  
She didn’t need to worry. However, she decided to cut her day short and went home, where her aunt greeted her.  
“Did you have fun, Emi?” she asked with a smile.  
“Yes” answered Emi “I’m going to my room.”  
“Ah! Emi!” said her aunt, while Emi was going to the second floor “I bought your uniform, already. It’s in your bed.”  
Emi nodded and ran upstairs. Her aunt lost her smile.  
…  
Emi wasn’t the only one that wanted to start anew.  
After what happened to Chouko, Hayato decided that it was for the best to stay away from her. And, since his parents weren’t in the best of the relationships, always fighting and threatening one another with divorce promises, Hayato turn his back to that and went to Tokyo, where he was now living with his grandparents.  
Exams were never an obstacle to Hayato that even liked to study. However, he needed to work extra hard, since he wanted to get a scholarship from the high-school. It would be a cold day in hell, when he asked his parents or grandparents to support his studies.  
When he was giving his speech, he did see Emi. However, he didn’t recognize her, just as she hoped. It just gathered his attention when a girl started to crouch when he started his speech. He thought the girl was going to faint, but it turned to be nothing.  
The school provided the uniform for the scholarship students, so he went to the principle’s office and got his, ignoring the other two scholarship students.  
When he arrived home, there was no one to greet him. His grandmother was in the hospital and his grandfather was working hard everyday to pay for her hospital bills. So, inside the little apartment, he put the uniform away and fixed something to eat.  
Maybe he could get a job and move out from his grandparents’ house.  
…  
Quietly and quickly, the weekend passed, and it was time for the first day of her high-school life. Was what Chouko thought, while she was fixed her painted blond hair in the mirror, after applying make-up and putting her contact lenses.  
She unbuttoned the first button of her shirt, loosened up the collar and pushed up the skirt up until it was by the middle of her tights. She wouldn’t be the victim anymore.  
While Chouko was leaving her house with a daring smile, Emi made sure her skirt was by her knees, buttoned her shirt and tied the little hair that she lazily let grow.  
“I’m going” she said, without eating breakfast.  
“Emi!” said her aunt, sighing when she heard the front door shut “I don’t know what to do anymore.”  
“Let her be” said Emi’s uncle, eating the food cooked by his wife “Just give her some more time. She’ll be okay.”  
“Will she?” she asked “Since her parents died last year, she barely eats. She’ll end up in a hospital, if this continues.”  
“Well, if that happens, she’ll learn by her own mistakes, won’t she?” he said, making his wife sigh, again “Will she enter any clubs?”  
“She said she wants to” she mumbled “But, in the end, I think she won’t do anything.”  
“Let her be” he repeated “Something like loosing her parents at such a young age in such a tragic way can’t be fixed easily. You had a hard time, too, remember?”  
She remembered when the hospital called her to say that her sister and brother-in-law were in the hospital. They were brutally stabbed by a guy that was later caught. The guy had drugs in his blood and confessed he was planning to run from the country with the money he took from the house.  
In the end, her sister and brother-in-law died at the hospital and the guy who killed them had a light sentence since he was under the influence of drugs and his family testified that he had mental problems since he was a child.  
Emi was to move in with them, if something like that happened and they were happy to have her, but it wasn’t easy.  
However, Emi didn’t cry…what made it harder. The uncle said to wait. Give her space. Give her time. They moved to Tokyo and the uncle was sure that Emi would be better when she entered high-school. After all, Emi was one of those people who couldn’t help but to socialize in an environment like that.  
Her uncle was very wrong.  
Emi, quietly went to the board where the names of the students were displayed and put in different classes. After finding her name, she went straight to her classroom, seat close to a window and waited.  
She thought all the universe should be against her when she saw the rude guy entering her classroom and sit close to the door. Well, at least he was far away, and she bet that he was one of those guys who run out of the classroom when the class ends.  
Emi found out, when the teacher made the roll-call, that the name of the rude guy was Hayato and he was there with a scholarship. He would be the class representative. As expected, when Emi said where she went in middle-school, Hayato looked at her with a confused face, probably thinking how he wasn’t able of recognize her.  
So, of course, he approached her. However, she didn’t move.  
“Hey, we’re both from the same middle-school” Hayato said “Sorry I didn’t recognize you. I wasn’t at my best a year ago.”  
Emi looked up, surprised by his manners.  
“Actually, I still don’t recognize you” confessed Hayato “Your name is somehow familiar, but I don’t…”  
“It’s only normal that you don’t remember me” said Emi “We only talked once.”  
He looked at her, trying to put the name on the face.  
“Oh, yeah! You were the girl who looked like a boy” he said, proud of himself “You let your hair grow, though. Good for you.”  
“Who’s the boy!?” Emi jumped out of her seat to face him.  
“Look, I’m just saying it was a good decision” continued Hayato “Since you don’t have much going on down there, you could be mistaken by a boy who likes to cross-dress.”  
She looked down, where he was pointing at her chest.  
“Are you kidding me!?” asked Emi, looking at him “I’m only 15, anyways! I’m still growing!”  
Hayato looked at her, shocked for a moment and then started to laugh uncontrollably.  
“What!?” asked Emi, mad and confused.  
“I thought you were going to slap me or curse at me” answered Hayato, trying to control himself “But yeah…you’re right. You’re still growing. Let’s hang out, later.”  
“No way!” she yelled when he turned his back at her.  
Unlike what she thought, instead of leaving the room, he simply sat down and waited until the next bell to ring.  
…  
He really approached her again, after the morning classes and hang out with her, without her permission. Not only that day, the next day and the day after that.  
“Why?” she asked, one day “Why do you keep following me around?”  
At first, she could understand a little, since neither of them knew anyone there, but he quickly made a bunch of friends and, for some unknown reason, every time he had the opportunity, he would go and hang out with her.  
Maybe he was pitying her, since she didn’t have any friends.  
“You’re funny” he said, making her feel insulted “I have fun when I’m around you.”  
And so, she got into as many clubs as she could.  
It didn’t work. Most of the time, he would go see her practices or wait until she was over.  
“Do you like me?” she asked “Is that the reason?”  
He laughed and freed her hair to piss her off, as he was doing lately. “You’re not my style at all. You’re like…my best friend.”  
Even though she hated it for a while, her aunt couldn’t be happier, hearing her niece complaining about the boy that was constantly insulting her and following her around, while eating dinner.  
“You should bring the boy over, someday” said the aunt, regretting it immediately.  
She knew how much Emi hated how people look at her when they discover she’s rich and so, she stopped talking about Hayato, left the table and went to her room.  
“It’s okay” said the uncle, seeing that his wife was blaming herself “She’s complaining about a boy and going to club activities. She’s getting better.”  
“Yes” she said.  
But the aunt knew that Emi wouldn’t be truly happy until someone knew about her and keep treating her the same way as before.  
“Yesterday I remembered that you were the one that gave me my friend’s glasses, last year” said Hayato, next day, sited on her desk “Thank you.”  
“Yeah” Emi was looking at her notebook, pretending to be reading.  
“So, to thank you, why don’t you come to my house after school?” asked Hayato.  
“Yeah” mumbled Emi, again but, when she realized what she had said, she looked up “Wait, no!”  
“Are you sure?” asked Hayato “My grandmother is a great cooker.”  
“I have things to do” answered Emi “Now, go away.”  
Hayato shrunk his shoulders, jumped off her desk and freed her hair.  
“You can have this when you come to my house” said Hayato, showing her elastic. Then he turned around and went back to his group of friends, ignoring Emi’s angry face.  
She tried to retrieve it until the last bell rang, but she ended up going home with her hair loose. What surprised her aunt.  
“That guy is holding it captive” it was her answer when her aunt asked where her elastic was.  
“Will you dine with us, tonight?” asked her aunt.  
Emi paused in the middle of the stairs, nodded and looked at her aunt “Can I go to that guy’s place, tomorrow? He said he only give me back my elastic when I go.”  
Her aunt smiled and nodded, tearing up when Emi went to her room. She had so many more stuff to tie up her hair, but she wanted to go to that boy’s house and so, she gave that excuse.  
Her husband was right, after all.  
She only needed time.


End file.
